Worried? The answer could be to get a copy of Dr B C Wolverton’s book How to Grow Fresh Air: Grow and nurture 50 houseplants to ensure you have clean, non-polluted air in your home and office.

Written as a result of research designed to create a breathable environment for a NASA lunar habitat, space stations, Bill Wolverton discovered houseplants are the best filters of common pollutants, such as ammonia, formaldehyde and benzene, chemicals released by furniture, carpets, building materials and photocopies and then trapped by closed ventilation leading to respiratory and allergic problems, now referred to as Sick Building Sydrome.

His book shows you how to grow 50 plants as accessible and trouble free as the tulip and Boston fern. Each plant is rated for its effectiveness in removing various pollutants. Of the houseplants that fall into the category of eco friendly according to Wolverton a rubber plant is the most likely to be successful. Bred for toughness, it will survive in less light than most plants its size. It has a high resistance to insect infestation and is easy to grow and, very important, is especially effective at removing formaldehyde most often found in furnishings that take years to cease emitting fumes.

This is my absolute favourite indoor plant book and one I would never be without.

Easy to understand, well illustrated and it makes sense!

Here’s a link to Dr Wolverton’s website. Of course How to Grow Fresh Air is available from Amazon or any reputable bookstore

Some research has shown a link to dementia and man made chemicals. So all in all, air fresheners and the like are out. Pity, we really liked them.

We subscribe to Freegle, a website that facilitates giving away and requesting items which leads to reducing the amount put into the waste fill sites. Guess who’s going to ask for rubber tree plants! They grow pretty big and people often want to give them away. We have a lovely conservatory that would provide a good home for anything large … and rubber tree plants would be most welcome.

This peace lily was a Freegle plant. It loves the bathroom but it will probably migrate to the sitting room with its new carpet.

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